Richard de Montfichet

Richard de Montfichet (or Richard de Munfichet) (died 1267) was a Magna Carta surety. He was a landowner in Essex. Life He was the son of another Richard de Montfichet, whom Henry II made forester of Essex. Richard the elder was son of Gilbert, who married Avelina de Lucy, daughter of Richard de Luci. Richard the elder was grandson of William de Montfichet, founder of the abbey of Stratford-Langton Essex; he was with Richard I in Normandy in 1195, was sheriff of Essex and Hertfordshire in 1202, and died the next year, leaving one son by his wife Milisent. William de Warenne offered King John 500 marks for licence to marry the widow Melisent. The young Richard was then about ten years old, and was at first a ward of Roger de Lacy (1170-1211). He appears as witnessing several charters in 1214, and on 21 June 1215 received charge of the forests of Essex as his by hereditary right. He had nevertheless acted previously with the baronial party, and been present at the meeting at Stamford in March. He was one of the twenty-five barons appointed to enforce the observance of Magna Carta, and as a prominent member of the party was excommunicated by the pope in 1216. He supported Louis VIII of France both before and after John's death, and fighting at Lincoln against William Marshal on 20 May 1217 was then taken prisoner. He returned to loyalty, and recovered his lands in the following October.